Corporate Accounting, Intern

Are you ready to gain hands-on experience with an industry-leading real estate company? Essex Property Trust, an S&P 500 real estate investment trust (REIT), invites highly motivated college students to join our 8-week, paid summer internship program in Corporate Accounting. This is your opportunity to support a high-performing accounting team, expand your technical skills, and contribute to meaningful financial operations that drive business decisions across the organization. 

This is a full-time internship, Monday through Friday, with a pay rate of $26.00 per hour. 

WHAT YOU WILL DO 

• Support Month-End and Quarter-End Close – Assist with preparing journal entries, account reconciliations, and close schedules to help ensure an accurate and timely monthly/quarterly close process. 

• Perform Financial Analysis – Contribute to income statement and balance sheet fluctuation analysis by researching variances and preparing supporting schedules. 

• Support SEC Reporting – Assist with preparation of quarterly SEC filings including drafting disclosures and reconciling financial data to ensure compliance with reporting requirements. 

• Assist with Debt Administration – Support the maintenance of debt schedules, interest tracking, and quarterly reviews to ensure accurate accruals and reporting. 

• Reconcile Key Accounts – Work alongside Corporate Accountants to complete reconciliations in areas such as cash, investments, debt, prepaid expenses, accrued liabilities, and equity, gaining exposure to essential corporate processes. 

• Help Clear Deposits and Transactions – Learn to clear deposits, checks, and miscellaneous transactions in the Company’s accounting system (Yardi Systems) as part of daily accounting operations. 

• Support Cashbook Maintenance – Assist with maintaining the Corporate and REIT consolidated cashbook, including daily updates, investigation of unidentified items, and month-end procedures. 

• Assist with Audit Preparation – Partner with the team to prepare supporting schedules, workpapers, and documentation for quarterly reviews and annual audits. 

• Participate in Process Improvements – Help identify opportunities to enhance reconciliation schedules, documentation practices, and workflow efficiency across the Corporate Accounting team. 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED 

• Education – You must be enrolled in a four-year accredited undergraduate program, majoring in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field. Rising juniors (Class of 2028) and seniors (Class of 2027) are encouraged to apply. 

• Skills & Attributes – Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, excellent attention to detail and accuracy, strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word, solid organizational and multitasking abilities, and a high degree of integrity, professionalism, and honesty. 

• Work Environment – This is a hybrid role, requiring you to be in our San Mateo office four days a week (Monday – Thursday). 

WHAT THE JOB REQUIRES 

• A genuine interest in accounting, finance, and real estate  

• The ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team  

• A proactive, solutions-oriented approach to assigned tasks  

• Strong communication skills to partner effectively with Corporate Accounting, Property Accounting, Property Management, and Treasury teams 

WHAT YOU WILL BRING TO THE TABLE 

• A growth mindset – You are eager to deepen your accounting knowledge and gain real world experience.  

• A team-player attitude – You enjoy working with others to achieve shared goals.  

• A detail driven work style – You take pride in producing accurate and high-quality work.  

• A strong work ethic – You take initiative, ask thoughtful questions, and meet deadlines consistently.